VA·20
| Inscription | |
|---|---|
| Reading in transliteration: | (?)naśịọụị?ọ? § |
| Reading in original script: | ? ?     (?)
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| Object: | VA·20 Arsago Seprio (bowl) |
| Position: | bottom, outside |
| Orientation: | 180° |
| Direction of writing: | sinistroverse |
| Script: | North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet) |
| adapted to: | Latin script |
| Number of letters: | 10–11 |
| Number of words: | 1 |
| Number of lines: | 1 |
| Workmanship: | scratched |
| Condition: | damaged, fragmentary |
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| Archaeological culture: | La Tène D [from object] |
| Date of inscription: | late 2nd–1st c. BC [from object] |
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| Type: | unknown |
| Language: | unknown |
| Meaning: | unknown |
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| Alternative sigla: | Morandi 2004: 120 |
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| Sources: | Morandi 2004: 604 no. 120 |
Images
 Inscription VA·20 from Morandi 2004
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 Potsherd VA·20 Arsago Seprio with inscription VA·20 from Morandi
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 Fragment VA·20 Arsago Seprio with inscription VA·20
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 Inscription VA·20
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Commentary
First published in Volontè Fredini 1990: 68, 72.
Images in Veronesi 1990: tav. Vd (drawing), Morandi 2001: 12, no. 5 (drawing), Morandi 2004: 603, fig. 16.129 (drawing) and tav. XVIII.120 (photo).
Inscribed upside-down on the bottom of the vessel near the rim of the foot. Volontè Fredini read anasc (also Solinas 1995: 384 anask). The reading given above is based on Morandi's (also 2001: 12, no. 5): naśiọụị?ọị. Morandi describes the traces identified as initial alpha by Volontè Fredini as an unintentional half-moon-shaped scratch. naś- is the only clearly legible part, all the following letters have their lower parts missing and/or are heavily abraded. Judging by the drawing, the unidentified letter in Morandi's reading could be 
(naśiouito?). Morandi identifies the letter after omicron as iota, but the drawing indicates particular uncertainty. The last character is judged by Morandi to be a para-script sign, possibly a potter's mark and presumably unconnected with the inscription. The alphabet is Lepontic (alpha, san), but nu has a Latin shape (cf. VA·19 from the same grave).
If the identification of the last two letters is correct, the ending -oi̯ may indicate a plural form, though this is otherwise unattested among the graffiti from this necropolis, and we would expect a personal name. Maybe the last letter is "flat" sigma at repeatedly attested at Sant'Ambrogio (cf. VA·7, VA·8 and S on cases of uncertainty concerning final iota vs. sigma) – naśiouit?os? Morandi compares naśi- with VB·3.1 naśom, but the latter is probably a misreading. See the word page for possible analyses of the form.
David Stifter, Corinna Salomon
